A leaked Spanish national police report claims Moroccan authorities deliberately engineered the arrival of 72,000 migrants in Ceuta on 30–31 July, in a crisis that killed more than 100 people. Local authorities put the number of arrivals at 80,000.

The report, drafted by the police's National Immigration and Borders Centre (CENIF) at the request of Spain's National Court, states that Moroccan gendarmes ushered thousands of migrants to the border of the Spanish exclave in North Africa. Newspaper El Español revealed the document's contents.

According to the report, the "planning and execution" of the mass entry was "monitored by Moroccan agents on the ground".

What does the report conclude?

The CENIF analysis says the surge aimed to overwhelm Spanish security forces in Ceuta. It links the operation to Morocco's long-standing territorial claims over Ceuta and Melilla, Spain's second exclave on the North African coast.

The report concludes that Morocco's objective was to "violate" the Spanish and EU border "under the guise of a migratory crisis". It also notes that around 70,000 of those who entered Ceuta returned voluntarily within hours.

A magistrate at the National Court, Spain's top criminal court, is conducting a preliminary investigation into what the source material describes as perhaps the worst national security crisis in Spain's recent history.

Who has spoken out?

Jorge Dezcallar, Spain's former envoy to Morocco and former chief of the National Intelligence Services (CNI), said Morocco's territorial claims on the two cities were a key factor. He said that by enabling the surge, Moroccan authorities could "test the waters" at a time when they perceived a weak government in Madrid.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez initially called the influx a "violation of Spain's territorial integrity". He has since said there is no evidence Morocco was behind the surge.

What happens now?

The report has caused political shockwaves in Madrid, where parties across the spectrum question the Socialist Party's complacency toward Rabat. Spain has taken no concrete action against Morocco, which it calls a "loyal ally". Morocco's ambassador to Spain has not been summoned for questioning.

The official position held by Spain and Morocco blames human smuggling networks and social media disinformation. Spanish security forces and experts have questioned that hypothesis.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has asked the Director-General of the Police, Francisco Pardo, to brief him "as soon as possible" on the content and "veracity" of the report, a ministry spokesperson said. The ministry added that this "essential" information "should have been brought to the attention of the executive immediately", as well as to the members of the National Security Council, the crisis management body advising the prime minister.

Police chief denies report exists

Pardo, appointed by Marlaska in 2018, responded that "there is no police report whatsoever that attributes to the Moroccan security forces the planning or execution of what happened on July 30 and 31 in Ceuta". According to a statement, the judge instructed investigators not to inform their superiors about the report's preparation and content, which is why Pardo had no knowledge of it.

The report now sits with Judge Maria Tardón and the public prosecution, who will decide shortly whether to open a judicial investigation.

Readers should follow official statements from the National Court, the Interior Ministry and the CENIF for authoritative updates on the case.